The Witching Hour
by MitsukaiMizuno
Summary: In the final hour, help comes from unexpected places. In his darkest hour, she became his ray of light. IchiRuki AU Oneshot. For the IchiRuki FC contest at the BA! RxR!


Hello All!! It's been such a long time since I posted anything here, and everything has changed so much!! Anyways...

This story was posted at the IchiRuki FC over at the Bleach Assylum forums. It was written for a contest that they have over there (For those BA peeps out there I go by Mizu No Tenshi) so I decided to write this story!! Wish me good luck!!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing...

* * *

**The Witching Hour**

Kurosaki Ichigo stretched leisurely on the couch, TV remote in hand, eyes droopy with sleep.

The days at the Central Headquarters of Karakura had been slow and boring, and it was all the orange head captain could do to not punch a hole in the wall from the frustration. Stifling a yawn, he walked his way towards the kitchen area, where he grabbed himself a glass of water and leaned back on the sink.

Ichigo was in a difficult predicament. His team's morale was low and his bosses were on his ass for the lack of activity in the past couple of months. There had been no research, no on field research, let alone any findings. Ichigo sighed.

It wasn't easy to hunt witches

Sometimes he couldn't understand how he got into this crazy business. As a child, Ichigo never believed in those fantasy stories his mother would read to his baby sisters about fairies and witches and goblins. See to believe was his motto and that would never change.

Until he faced a vampire

And it all went downhill from there. He discovered shortly after that encounter that his father belong to secret organization that researched and hunted these fantastical creatures, thus protecting humanity from their existence. That was around the same time that he learned the real reason behind his mother's untimely death.

She had been cursed.

It was all his life revolved around now. To find the bastard who killed his mother and avenge her soul, which, surprisingly enough, was the only soul that didn't harass him on a daily basis. Heaving a heavy sigh, Ichigo finished his water and walked back to the couch, where he sat staring at the ceiling.

He busted his ass in order to get the position he was in, and then continued to bust his ass in order to get the team in charge of which hunting. It's been a little over a year, and he's had a few encounters with the allusive bastards but, well, it was nearly impossible to catch one.

It didn't help that they were so sneaky and so stealthy. The most challenging thing for Ichigo to learn was to identify a witch or warlock, since they're all human-like. Hell, for him to even consider himself capable of telling them apart is actually an overstatement. The few he has actually encountered are usually the rowdy ones that want to pick a fight, and Ichigo and his team would always come short. Those bastards are forever using weird tricks and spooky antics that just make the orange-head captain's blood boil with rage.

He hated them, he really, really did. And for the life of him he couldn't understand what was the big deal of having the ability of making shit disappear or make you see things that weren't really there.

He just didn't understand.

"Kurosaki Taichou, please report to the General Commander's office. Kurosaki Taichou"

--

"Here we go again" A long, low but not low enough sigh followed the cutting words of Tatsuki as she crouched behind a building. Next to her came a scoff, courtesy of her red headed partner Abarai Renji, who was currently leaning against said building, a long cigarette dangling from in between his lips. The noise of static filled the air

"Shut up the both of you! We're here on a very important lead given to me by Yamamoto himself alright" Although Ichigo's voice was laced with static, they could still hear the frown on his face and the bite on his words.

"Yeah well, excuse our skepticism _captain_, but the General Commander has given you a lot of leads before" said Renji, taking a long draft from his cigarette, receiving a side glare from the short haired partner.

"You think I don't know that asshole? You guys are gonna have to bear with me though, 'cause we've been looking pretty bad these couple of months"

"Tch, of course we have" Tatsuki muttered, her blue eyes peering through her night vision goggles.

"I heard that Arisawa!" Ichigo billowed, causing Tatsuki and Renji to place some distance between their ears and the receivers.

"Jesus Kurosaki! Why don't you just put up a big ass neon sign with an arrow giving away our location idiot!" Renji hissed into the radio while Tatsuki sniggered.

"Just shut up and keep your eyes and ears open ok?! Over!" with that the transmission ended, leaving the partners in an engulfing silence. Renji took a last drag from his cigarette and threw it on the grass, the heels of his boots putting away the remaining of the light.

"Nothing still?" he asked, crouching behind the raven-haired hunter. Her spiky hair shook lightly as she sighed heavily

"This is bullshit. We are never going to catch one of those things are we?" she said, grunting lightly as she shifted from her position. The red head behind her simply shrugged his shoulders

"Beats me. Sometimes I don't even believe those things exist"

"How can you not believe and still be in this squad?"

"Tch, 'cause this is the easiest squad to be in. Is not like I wanna be with the Vampire Squad. Now those are some crazy motherfuckers right there" he replied as he lit another cigarette, the sound of the lighter ticking filled the silence around them. Tatsuki gave an un-lady like snort and shook her head

"Can't say I disagree"

Time slowly ticked away as they crouched behind the old building, the silver light of the moon casting shadows around the trees and other buildings. The only sound was the soft, tired sigh that would escape Tatsuki every time she shifted her weight.

Becoming restless, the raven haired hunter sat down with a huffing sigh, scratching the back of her head. Her eyes narrowed once she saw her partner's back to her, a cigarette lit between his lips.

"You know Abarai, smoking not only gives cancer- it also makes you impotent on the long run" she said jokingly. Seeing that her comment produced no reactions, she stood up and walked up to her partner slowly, her hand gently reaching out for his shoulder

"Hey, what's up with you? Smoke get up to your brain or something?" she said as a nervous laugh escaped her. Her hand reached his shoulder and she gave a little tug. The cigarette, still lit, fell to the floor, followed shortly by the stiff body of Abarai Renji.

Jumping back and taking a sharp intake of breath, Tatsuki fell back on her behind, her eyes wide and glossy against the sudden overwhelming darkness. Her partner was lying at her feet, his mouth slightly parted and his eyes as wide as hers. Her breath was hitching every second and the air around her was denser by the second. Her breath escaped her in white puffs as she tried to back away from the stiff body. Suddenly, Tatsuki felt her back connect with something, causing her lips to part more and her eyes to widen so much the corners were prickling

"Shhhh Arisawa-san, there's no point in fusing. Everything is going to be alright" A cold whisper of a voice breezed through her ear and played at her neck, sending a chill down her spine. She turned her head slightly to see the face behind the voice

The pressing silence was broken by a piercing scream.

--

"Fuck!"

Ichigo turned the receiver off for what seemed like the thousandth time. His 3rd and 4th seat weren't responding and they were nowhere in sight. He had raided there location a thousand times and there wasn't even the slightest indication that they were even there in the first place. No boot tracks, no stepped-on grass, hell not even a cigarette but.

"Kurosaki taichou!"

Ichigo turned to find the anxious face of Hanatarou Yamada running towards him. The scrawny looking officer came to a halt before him, panting slightly

"Found anything?" Taking a steadying breath, Hanatarou stood straight and gave Ichigo a worried look

"We did, although it wasn't Arisawa-san or Abarai-san"

"So what is it?" Hanatarou shifted nervously on the spot, his hands fiddling before him.

"Um well…we found traces of…ice"

"Ice?"

"Yes…Ice. Blue ice" Hanatarou's eyes widened a little more, hoping his captain would get the reference. Luckily Ichigo did

"A witch?"

"Apparently so. But not any kind of witch. This one seems to be of the elemental type. We have reason to believe that both Arisawa and Abarai-san were taken by this witch" Hanatarou reported.

Ichigo ran his hands angrily through his spiky hair. He couldn't fucking believe this. The one thing they were supposed to be hunting was hunting them. He lost two of his strongest soldiers in what seemed like a matter of seconds. He could feel the anger boiling in him. His teeth were gritted tightly in his mouth and his fists were curled so tight his nails were drawing blood.

"Ah…Kuro…Kurosaki taichou?" Hanatarou called out weakly, feeling the tension in the air raise around him. Without looking back at his 5th seat, Ichigo stomped forward, raising his head to the star filled, endless night

"What is it huh?! What the fuck do you want?! Why don't you come out and fight like a man so I can beat the living shit out of you!! Come on!" Ichigo's voice tore from his throat in a desperate cry. His ochre eyes were ablaze and his skin was so heated with anger that he barely noticed the temperature drop around him. He did notice though when the leaves stopped dancing and the wind stopped howling. He noticed how his watched suddenly stopped and how the once soldier filled fields were now completely desolate. A cold whisper of a wind caressed the nape of his neck and he turned, his eyes searching frantically around him

"You know, I really hate it when people assume this is a man's doing"

Ichigo jumped and turned at the sound of the melodious voice. His eyes widened at the impossible scene before him

Right in front of his eyes there was what seemed like ice throne. The floors and the walls around the throne were all covered in ice and there, sitting on the throne, was the most beautiful creature Ichigo had ever laid eyes on.

Her hair was of the darkest black, and it caressed her cheeks and fell to her shoulders, the tips going upwards just a little. Her skin was of a creamy white, almost pearl like. Her lips were full and rosy and her eyes. Those eyes were deep and liquid and violet and shiny and so full of life and mirth and promises and sin and everything Ichigo could ever ask for. His attention snapped at the sound of her melodious laugh

"Well, for someone with such a big mouth you seem awfully quiet. Cat caught your tongue, Kurosaki Ichigo?"

He wasn't even wondering about how she knew his name, he was to enticed with the way her white silky dress left one long creamy leg uncovered and how it sinfully exposed the skin of her thigh. His eyes then trailed to her humble chest, then to her long creamy neck and then settled on those eyes. My God what's with those eyes?

"See something you like?"

"Huh?"

"So you are the great captain of the witch hunting squad? Hmm, that leaves a lot to be desired really seeing as how you can't even utter a coherent sentence" she said, her voice filled with mirth as she smirked down at him from her throne. Ichigo's senses where somewhat returning to him, enough to register the fact that he had just been insulted

"What did you just say?"

"And you're hearing impaired? Well really, the Central Headquarters have definitely let themselves go"

"Why you little…"

"Ah ah ah, Kurosaki-taichou, let's watch our tongue now" she laughed a little as she stepped down from her throne and walked over to him. The slow cadence of her hips almost made him faint and he was trying to take control of all his senses, to no avail

"Now, you were calling out for me yes? Well here I am. How may I help you?"

"What?" The witch rolled her eyes and sighed exasperatedly at the captain's slowness

"Are you normally this slow?"

"What the hell do you mean 'how can I help you?'? How about you stop being a bitch and give me my friends back" Ichigo spat back, his surprise being quickly replaced by anger. The petit witch raised an eyebrow at the crass youth

"Give you your friends back? And what makes you think I took them in the first place?"

"What? Listen, stop fucking around, we found traces of your weird ice thing around the areas they were so I know it was you" Ichigo's patience was thinning by the second and he was ready to choke the magic out of her. That or pounce on her and kiss her senseless

"Whether I was here or not is not the question, Kurosaki. What I'm saying is why do you think I took them? Maybe they wanted to come" she explained calmly, her hands resting on her tiny waist. Ichigo's surprised look returned to his face

"And why in fucks name would they want to go anywhere with you?"

"Why wouldn't they?"

"Oh I don't know…let me think…maybe because you're a witch!!" Ichigo bellowed. The small witch sighed exasperatedly

"I still don't understand your point here. I am fully aware of what I am and I assume you are as well so, please enlighten me as to why wouldn't they want to come with me"

Ichigo gave her a blank stare, truly in disbelief of what he was hearing. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to find patience somewhere deep down inside him.

Way deep.

"Ok, the two that you captured…"

"Did not capture them"

"Shut up, don't interrupt me. Anyways, those two belong in my squad. My squad, as you apparently already know, is the Witch Hunting Unit. They hunt witches; therefore, I highly doubt they would want to go anywhere with you but back to the base for research"

"But they did come with me" she said smugly. Ichigo growled in exasperation and made to take a hold of the little pesk, but was frozen in the spot.

"I would suggest you keep your hands were I can see them Kurosaki" she said in an icy tone, her violet eyes narrowed. She let go of him and he gasped, feeling the control over his limbs again

"Ok, I'm going to ask you again. Where are they?" he growled. She tilted her head

"I don't recall you asking me that before"

"Just fucking tell me for all that's holy!" he yelled

"Ok, ok. Geez no need to be so loud. And here I thought you might want help in finding your mothers killer" she said, walking placidly back to her throne. Ichigo's raising anger fell so fast he even felt the blood on his face leave him. The cold air finally got to him and he shivered

"What…what did you just say?" he asked- his voice just above a whisper. The azure eyed witch looked at him from her throne, her beautiful face now serious. She crossed her legs once again, her stance one of pure invitation. Ichigo felt himself being lulled into her sweet fragrance. His eyes becoming unfocused as he somehow came closer to her throne

"Kurosaki Ichigo, for a person who claims to hunt witches, you sure don't know the first thing about us" he felt her dainty fingers caress his chin softly as her face came closer to his. Her scent filled his senses and intoxicated his mind.

"What…what do you mean?" he stammered. He couldn't see anything around him anymore. Everything was white and cold and all the color he could see was the swirling of blue and violet in her eyes. She laughed lightly

"Tell me Ichigo…what is it you wish for the most?"

--

Heavy eyes blinked open against the rays of light pouring through the open window. With the back of his hand, Ichigo covered his unfocused eyes, trying to decipher his current location. He looked around and frowned, his surrounding becoming clearer by the moment.

"I've…I've been here before" he muttered groggily. A sudden movement caught the corner of his eye and he felt his heart jump out of his chest at the sight.

"Of course it seems familiar, this is your old room silly" The raven haired witch was sitting in a chair next to his bed, smiling as if everything was normal. Ichigo sighed trying to calm the crazy rhythm of his heart. Only then he noticed the witch's change of attire

"What the hell are you wearing?"

"Oh this? This is your high school uniform silly"

"I know that you moron, why are you wearing it?"

"Well I can't walk around dressed like a witch all the time now can I? People would look at me weird" she answered casually as she played with the hem of her gray skirt.

Ichigo shook his head and looked around the room again. This was his room, his old room. He hadn't been here in years. He hadn't been here since…his mother's death

"Why are we here?" he asked, his tone low. The witch raised her eyes and crossed her arms

"We are here because this is where you want to be"

"I didn't ask you to bring me here"

"Yes you did, otherwise you wouldn't be here" she replied

"What the fuck is your deal? Can't you just be clear for a change? What the hell is your point here? What did you do, witch?" Before she answered, her glossy eyes narrowed and glared at him, causing him to recoil slightly. She then closed her eyes and sighed

"First of all, I have a name, Kuchiki Rukia, so make sure you use it. Second of all, I did what any witch would've done, I granted you a wish"

"You…you granted me a wish?" Ichigo asked, stupefied.

"Yes. I asked you what do you wish for, you told me and that's why you are here now" Rukia said matter of factly.

What he wished for? What was the thing he wished for the most? Sudden images of a brighter and happier past assaulted his mind as he remembered his mother. Yes, that's what he wished for. To avenge her, to find the bastard that took her away from them…from him.

"Why would you do that?" he asked, his eyes boring into hers. She held his gaze with as much intensity

"Because that is what we do Ichigo. Witches are meant to grant one wish to the human that desires it the most. The moment you stepped into the picture your desire to avenge your mother was so great that I couldn't ignore it. So I'm giving you the chance to know the truth. But be aware, you might know of things that will change your perception of everything forever, since you no longer will live in the blissfulness of ignorance. Are you ready for that, Kurosaki Ichigo?"

The room was turning cold and a blinding white light was surrounding them again. Her fingers had incased his face again and she had small knowing smile on her face. Her eyes twinkled

"I am"

It had been years since he had been to this place. It was exactly as he remembered it-dark, cold and dingy. The clouds rolled ominously above him as he stood looking straight at the river; the current growing stronger because of the pouring rain. His clothes were drenched but he didn't care. He didn't care because he knew; he knew that here, in this place, in any moment, he would witness his mother's death

"You need to promise me something Ichigo" Rukia's soft voice was barely above a whisper, but incredibly clear over the rumbling rain. Her presence next to him was somewhat comforting-the notion of having someone next to him, even if it is the one thing he swore to hunt.

"You cannot intervene" she continued. A loud clap of thunder rolled over them, lighting the scene. A few blocks away from them a mother was walking next to her talkative son. Her yellow umbrella shivered at the mercy of the wind but never gave way under her steady hold.

"Whatever happens, you must let it happen. I only brought you here so you can see, but you must not intervene"

"I got it" Ichigo muttered, his eyes dark under his bangs of wet hair. The figure of his mother and a younger version of himself came into his vision. Another thunder clapped above them

"Ichigo, you must understand how important this is. You cannot let yourself be seen, you must not…"

"I said I got it!" he bellowed, his roar accompanied by a loud and bright thunder that whipped across the sky. Their eyes locked once again, and Rukia was surprised to find his filled with so much emotion. He was feeling powerless, helpless, and he hated it. He was forcing himself to relive this horrific moment and she could feel his body begging to run away, but he wouldn't allow it. A strangled cry snapped them to attention and they both faced the scene before them

Ichigo's mother was standing before him, hiding her son from danger. A dark figure arose from the shadows, looming over them dangerously. Suddenly, the younger version of Ichigo collapsed behind his mother, leaving her distraught to look over him as the dark figure approached her. She raised her head and stood as a shield before her son, her arms wide open and her stance set. A wide smile appeared on the face of the dark figure as it engulfed the woman. A piercing scream filled the air. Ichigo sprinted forward

"Ichigo no! You can't, I told you! You cannot be seen!" Rukia yelled as she held onto Ichigo's arm whilst trying to pull him back.

"I can't! I just can't stand here and let it all happen again, right in front of me! Let go!" he roared, his ochre eyes flashing a dangerous red. He suddenly felt his body freeze as he was encased in Rukia's spell, unable to move a muscle. She stood beside him

"I know it's hard Ichigo, but please understand that no one can meddle with fate. There is a cause to each effect, and if you change that, the future will be ultimately altered. Your wish was to know your mothers murderer, not to save her, you have no right to do so" As she spoke, the scene continued to unravel before them. The figure let go of the now dead body and it fell to the ground with a thud. A low chuckle was heard as it disappeared back through the same darkness it came from. Moments later the child came back to consciousness to find his mother lying dead. His cries carried over to where they stood, but Ichigo didn't need to see that. He remembered it all too clearly.

The rainy scene before him melted away, and within seconds he was back behind the musty building. The spell casted on him had been lifted, causing him to fall on his knees. But that was ok. His head was bowed and his shoulders shaked. His fingers curled around the dirt as the frustrating feeling of helplessness filled him once again. There was a fire behind his eyes that was threatening to spill over and burn his skin.

A cool, soft hand caressed his heated cheek and lifted his face. Her eyes were so clear, yet so dark and glossy. The soft wind played gently with her hair as she smiled gently at him as they simply stood there, looking at each other.

"I have granted your wish, Kurosaki Ichigo. What will you do know? Are still going to carry the vendetta that has eaten at your heart all these years?"

"What was that thing?"Ichigo asked through gritted teeth, the hardness in his eyes still there. Rukia was relentless as she held his penetrating gaze

"A demon. And demons only come after one thing"

"Which is?"

"Witches"

The statement caused his eyes to widen in surprise. His head shook lightly, still being held by Rukia's hand. The petit witch sighed

"Everything has changed now Ichigo. You have a new path to follow. It is time to let go of the past and focus on the future. Focus on finding that demon. Only you can do it"

"What makes you think I can?"

"You're the only one with the strong will to do so"

Tearing his eyes away from hers, Ichigo stood up-Rukia along with him. He took a deep breath and his face was back to its usual scowl. He looked down at the witch before him. She was still smiling gently

"What are you going to do?" he asked her, somehow fearing her answer. Shaking her head softly, she stepped forward. Her hand snaked behind his head and pulled him down gently while her soft lips met his. He responded to her kiss passionately, his skin heating up for entirely different reasons. After a few minutes, they parted, panting for air. Her eyes met his again

"I'm in this now too fool. I can't let you walk around aimlessly, you'd be a mess without me, trust me" she jested, a playful smile on her lips. Ichigo held her hands

"Tch, whatever. Fine I guess. You can be my light, Rukia"

"You only have to say my name, Ichigo"

* * *

Pretty long ne? Well the inspiration was flowing so I went with it. I hghly doubt Ill be continuing this, considering I have other stories I should be focusing on...hehe...anyways, love is always appreciated!! Thank you for reading!


End file.
